


The secret in the hidden box

by zeusfluff



Category: Dead of Summer (TV)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-07-04
Updated: 2016-09-01
Packaged: 2018-07-19 23:57:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 3,274
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7382707
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/zeusfluff/pseuds/zeusfluff
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Camp Stillwater seems to have a grisly past. It also has its secrets. Camp director Deb Carpenter seems to be hiding a secret in a box she dug up in the middle of the woods. Joel wondered what was inside it, but he's not the only one with that same question. (Ok, so this is my theory on what's inside the box that was dug up.) (The first chapter is from the deputies POV.) *Completely AU.*</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The secret in the hidden box

**Author's Note:**

> Do not own any of the Dead of Summer characters.

I read the instructions twice. There was a lot of ground to cover in this camp and I’d need more guys to help out. My eyes wandered to the locked box sitting on top of camp director Deb Carpenters desk. She eyed me suspiciously as I stared at it.

 

“Something else you’re looking for deputy? I gave you those instructions to find the person, or persons responsible for murdering the deer and Dave. Go find them.”

 

Those icy blue eyes stared back at me, I could see something deep down inside them. She was hiding something. Something that caused her  
a great deal of pain. 

 

“What’s in the box Deb?”

 

I saw a flash of sadness cross her pretty aging face.

 

“Something that can never come back. Please, just go and find whomever is responsible for murdering the deer and Dave and get them off my property.”

 

As I was about to exit her cabin, two of the counselors ran in. I think their names are Joel and Jason. Joel was chasing Jason who had his video camera. 

 

“Hey! Come on give it back!”

 

Deb looked annoyed and was about to say something to the two when the wooden box I’d been staring at fell to the floor and splintered open. I saw her face fall and glistening tears came to her eyes, but she didn’t let them fall. I watched as she balled her fists and looked both Joel and Jason in the eye.

 

“Jason, give Joel his camera back. I want the two of you to stop horsing around and get back to work. We’ve got a lot of work to do before the campers get here in two days. Go on, help the girls set up the soccer field.”

 

The two looked from me to Deb and then back to her again.

 

“That is what’s in the box? Oh man, I’m sorry.”

 

I stood still and held Deb’s directions in my hand and listened as she spoke up.

 

“Doesn’t change the fact that you broke it.”

 

Deb must be referring to the box. It took me a minute to realize the significance of what was in the box itself. 

 

“What’s special about the blanket?”

 

A tear slipped down her left cheek, but was gone just as quickly.

 

“If you must ask deputy, this is all that’s left of my baby.”


	2. A miracle shows itself

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Deb is reunited with her daughter Ellie after having been missing for 9 years.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't own any of the Dead of Summer characters. But I do own Ellie.

Deb heard noise on the stairs outside her cabin and went to open up her door. Just outside was Deputy Sykes. He looked concerned but not alarmed. 

 

“Sorry to bother you Deb, but are you missing a camper?”

 

Deb looked into Sykes eyes and furrowed her eyebrows. 

 

“No. Is someone missing?”

 

The deputy shook his head no and motioned towards a little girl with blond hair and piercing blue eyes and a blanket wrapped around her. 

 

“Found her wandering around by the east end of the lake. She looked confused.”

 

Deb stepped outside her cabin and onto the steps. The little girl seemed nervous. Trying to reassure her, Deb stopped on the bottom step of her cabin and gave her a small smile.

 

“It’s ok sweetie. Nothing’s going to happen to you here.”

 

The girl took a step farther back and stuck a thumb into her mouth. Deb could see she didn’t feel very secure being there. Deputy Sykes spoke up once more.

 

“She seems a little altered to me. A doctor should really take a look at her. I asked her, her name, she didn’t answer me. I don’t know if she’s just shy, scared or just doesn’t talk.”

 

Deb saw the girl sway on her feet and Sykes caught her before she fell. 

 

“Take it easy their sweetie. Here, let’s sit down in the chair.”

 

The girl looked up at Deb with pleading eyes. Deb’s expression softened further and she took a step closer. 

 

“Maybe she’ll talk to me.”

 

Leaning down to her level, Deb gave her a smile and spoke up.

 

“Hi. My name’s Deb. What’s your name sweetheart?”

 

The girl with sparkling blue eyes and messy blond curls tried to speak, but was faltering. 

 

“E- El…”

 

Deb was patient with her and took paper and pencil from Sykes who was sitting on a tree stump next to the girl. 

 

“It’s ok sweetie. Can you write your name for me?”

 

The little girl looked up as if she were unsure and put the pencil to the paper. But all that came out was squiggly lines. Looking down at the   
ground, the girl dropped the pencil and her eyes darted left and right nervously. 

 

“It’s ok. We can try again later.”

 

Deb stayed crouched in front of the girl and looked into her deep blue eyes, seeing something familiar in them. 

 

“Have I seen you before?”

 

The girl only shook her head and shivered under the blanket. Deb pushed a blond curl out of the girl’s face and smiled again. 

 

“Did you get separated from your mommy and daddy?”

 

The blond haired blue eye girl shook her head again and reached for the chain around Deb’s neck. Sykes watched the two as they interacted. 

 

“What’s she doing?”

 

Deb shook her head and took the key from around her neck and handed it to the girl. Her tiny fingers traced every part of the key.

 

“I don’t know. I don’t think she knows what this is.”

 

As Deb kept looking at the blond child, she could’ve sworn she saw a smile tug at her lips. She suddenly became startled when a group of kids came by screaming and getting each other with water guns. Grabbing ahold of Deb, the girl didn’t let go. 

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

“Well, she’s relatively healthy. Needs to gain a little weight, but she’s got a good appetite, so I’m not worried. There’s something else Deb. You should really sit down for this. You asked me if there was a chance that it could be Ellie. We ran a DNA test with a sample we got from her, and it matches yours. That little girl in the room is your daughter. Congratulations Deb, it’s a girl.”

 

Deb felt tears coming to her eyes. After all these years, wondering where Ellie had disappeared to and to have her back today? Nothing short of a miracle. Shaking hands with the doctor in front of her she smiled.

 

“Thank-you Doctor Anderson. Thank-you so much. You don’t know how much this means to me.”

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“So who’s that new kid with Deb?”

 

Joel, who always had his video camera permanently attached to his left hand looked at the two climbing out of a cab in front of Deb’s cabin. 

 

Amy looked up and shook her head.

 

“A new camper maybe?”

 

As the two disappeared into Deb’s cabin, Joel couldn’t resist the urge to go and knock on Deb’s door. Stepping up onto her porch, he rapped on the door loudly. Opening up the door, Deb frowned and kept it semi-closed.

 

“Something I can help you with Joel?”

 

Shaking his head no, he managed to see Ellie sitting at the table, unsure and a thumb in her mouth. 

 

“Oh, no. Who’s that with you? Is she a new camper?”

 

Deb shook her head no.

 

“No. That’s none of your business.”

 

With that, she shut the door in his face. The others, except Amy, started laughing at Joel.

 

“Ouch. Burn dude. You just got a door slammed in your face by Deb.”

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Come on sweetie. Mommy’s going to give you a bath. It’s ok. The water’s not going to hurt you.”

 

Ellie stared at the water warily and wouldn’t budge from her spot by the bathroom counter.

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“See? Isn’t that better? All nice and clean. You can sleep with mommy tonight and then tomorrow we can go into town and buy you your own bed ok?”

 

Ellie climbed under the covers and as soon as her head hit the pillow, she was asleep. Deb placed a kiss to her forehead and leaned back against the pillows on her side of the bed. She let her mind wander back to the very first time she saw Ellie. Lying against her stomach right after Deb had given birth to her and she had no idea her world was about to be flipped upside down and she’d be lost for nine years. She sat there for a while watching Ellie sleep. She was getting a second chance having her back, but it wasn’t going to be easy trying to get her to come out of her shell.


	3. Adjusting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Deb tries to coax Ellie out of her shell, then Deputy Sykes pays them a visit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Do not own any of the Dead of Summer characters. But I do own Ellie.

“Ellie, baby slow down. The food isn’t going anywhere. Why don’t you try using the fork?”

 

Ellie looked up at Deb and then over at the utensil apprehensively. Picking it up, she put a piece of ham on the end and tried sticking it in her mouth. Deb frowned and took a right hand helping her guide the utensil with the food into her mouth. A rap on the door made Deb look up. Rising from the kitchen table, Deb walked over to the front door and opened it.

 

“Deputy? What do I owe this visit?”

 

Deputy Sykes smiled and waved at Ellie, who sat at the table still trying to get another piece of ham into her mouth. 

 

“Oh, just tying up some loose ends. How’s Ellie settling in?”

 

Deb shook her head and tried to put on a brave smile, but failed.

 

“She’s actually been having some nightmares. She eats like a horse, but she doesn’t have a clue as to what utensils are. She eats with her hands. I should probably take her back into town and see a doctor. She’s having a lot of trouble holding things. I don’t know where she’s been for the last nine years or what she ate, but I don’t think she’s where she’s supposed to be at.”

 

Deb heard the sound of a chair fall over and then she saw Sykes point in the direction of Ellie.

 

“Uh Deb? Look. I’ll be right back. I’ll go radio-in some help.”

 

Face blanching, Deb saw Ellie’s crumpled form on the floor, going into spasms. 

 

“Oh my god. Ellie? Baby it's ok. Mommy’s right here.”

 

Getting down on the floor just behind Ellie, Deb pushed the toppled chair aside and pulled the girl’s head into her lap, tilting it up to keep her airway open. Smoothing some hair from the girl’s face, she spoke encouraging words to her, even though Deb knew Ellie couldn’t hear a word she was saying.

 

“Shh. It’s ok Ellie. Mommy’s right here.”

 

Deputy Sykes came back from his car a couple of minutes later and took in the situation.

 

“Anything I can do? Help is on the way.”

 

Sykes could see Deb had tears in her eyes, she’d just gotten Ellie back and now this happens? What was the world coming to? 

 

“No. The only thing we can do right now is wait till it passes. Oh my god, if I passed this on to Ellie… I had them occasionally as a child. When I was six I was swimming here at the lake and I had one. I nearly drowned. Kids can be unimaginably cruel. I was teased every summer when I came here. Rob and I, my husband, we wanted a baby for a while and then Ellie came along. We were so happy. Then Rob dumped us like a pile of garbage three weeks before I went into labor with her. Funny how everything plays out. Your dad was there the night she was born. The strange thing at the time was, I didn’t suspect Doctor Ashby of anything. Your dad had come up to see me because I reported finding a woman’s shoe out on one of the trails. He heard me screaming from my spot on the floor right where Ellie is. That stain on the floor is from me giving birth to her right here. I’ve never been able to remove it. Ellie was such a tiny baby, but she was a screamer. She was barely 5 pounds…”

 

Deb knew she was rambling and she stopped when she felt the deputies hand on her shoulder. 

 

“Hey. Everything’s going to be ok. Ellie’s going to get through this. She’s a strong girl.”

 

Deb wasn’t so sure that Ellie was strong though. 

 

“I hope so. I remember the night I gave birth to her I vaguely remember thinking: ‘how can such a tiny being hurt me so much?’ But then I realized birth is supposed to be painful. It’s part of the life cycle.”

 

Deb held her breath as Ellie went still in her arms. She watched her for a moment and a pit began to form in her stomach. Something wasn’t right here. Putting her ear up to her mouth she felt the tears return to her eyes and then she gave Sykes a tearful glance.

 

“She’s not breathing.”

 

The young deputy swallowed and motioned for Deb to move aside. Deb felt helpless. But as she watched the young man in front of her doing his best to breathe life back into Ellie, she realized something: I owe him my thanks and gratitude for bringing me Ellie. He did find her after all. Eyes widening, Deb watched as Ellie took a breath and started coughing. She was disoriented and looked around her confused. Deb saw Ellie’s bottom lip start to quiver and she started to cry. Tucking a lock of hair behind her ear, Deb tried reassuring her.

 

“It’s ok to cry baby. Let it out.”

 

Ellie looked at a small puddle on the floor and continued to cry. Deb placed a kiss onto the girl’s tiny head and reassured her once more.

 

“It’s ok baby girl. It happens. Sometimes we have accidents ok?”

 

Ellie didn’t know what was going on. So she sat and cried. She was unsure and scared and the only person she felt safe with was the woman that now held her in her arms. The scared expression stayed on Ellie’s tiny face as she began to gasp for air. 

 

“Breathe baby. Breathe. Garrett turn her onto her side.”

 

Sykes stood still for a few moments before he responded.

 

“But you said not to move her.”

 

Deb shook her head and put her arms under Ellie’s and motioned for the deputy to help her.

 

“Never mind what I said. Help me turn her over.”

 

Nodding, Sykes helped Deb move Ellie onto her side. Looking straight into her eyes, Deb spoke to her in a somewhat calm voice.

 

“Look at mommy baby. Are you choking?”

 

Ellie gave her mother a confused look. Switching gears, Deb pointed to Ellie’s throat hoping she’d understand what she was saying. 

 

“Do you feel like you have something stuck right here?”

 

Deb could see the pure fear in her daughter’s eyes but she swallowed her own down and watched as Ellie shook her head. 

 

“No? Ok. We’ll figure it out. Just try and relax. Breathe.”

 

Deb could see Ellie was beginning to panic, but she wasn’t going to let anything happen to her. Running a hand through her blond locks,   
Deb kept trying to reassure her.

 

“Everything’s going to be ok sweetie. Just relax. Try to breathe ok?”

 

Different things were running simultaneously in Deb’s head at the moment, but trying to find a plausible explanation for this wasn’t going to be easy. 

 

“Ok Ellie, mommy has a question for you: Sometimes, do you feel like you can’t breathe?”

 

Ellie shaking her head no looked at Deb absolutely terrified. 

 

“Ok, did you get hurt when you fell down?”

 

Wincing, Ellie pointed towards her chest. Deb put her ear up to it and listened. 

 

“She’s not getting any air.”

 

Sykes expression fell and his face turned ghost white. 

 

“She’s got a broken rib and its punctured her left lung. I thought I heard something after I got her breathing again. I’m sorry.”

 

Deb became furious for a brief few seconds before apologizing.

 

“Then why didn’t you say anything!? You know what I’m sorry, now’s not the time to be fighting. We need to get her some help.”

 

Deb understood that it was just an accident, but her mind was in overdrive right now and any explanation Sykes gave her wasn’t adequate. 

 

“It was an accident. I’m sorry. Doing CPR on someone runs the risk of broken ribs. More so on a child.”

 

But Deb couldn’t fault the young deputy. He had in fact saved Ellie’s life twice.

 

“I can’t blame you deputy. I can’t. You brought me my baby. You brought her back to me. You found her out there when no one else would. Thank-you.”

 

Everything was happening so fast, and she felt the world around her begin to spin. Ellie had been home just one day and things weren’t going the way Deb had planned.


	4. Wondering and waiting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Deb takes a trip down memory lane with Ellie's first picture. Then she begins to notice something 'off' about Amy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Do not own any of the Dead of Summer characters.

“Who’s that?”

 

Deb looked up at Amy and smiled, fingering the 9-year-old and crinkled piece of paper that showed Ellie before she knew the world. 

 

“My daughter. This was taken about a month before she was born. Even inside the womb she was eager to tackle the world. My husband Rob and I thought she was waving at us. She was always moving around. She was my birthday surprise. She was born here. At the camp. I didn’t have time to make it to the clinic in town. I just can’t believe I put our lives in the hands of the town doctor. I trusted him to get my daughter out safely. As soon as she came, Doctor Ashby bolted from this cabin and fled into the night with her. I never saw her again. I just can’t believe she’s been living here in the camp for the last nine years. Right under my nose. Deputy Sykes believes she may have been living in a cave not far from here. Someone was taking care of her. I can’t rest until I know she’s alright.”

 

Amy, putting a hand on Deb’s shoulder gave her a small smile and tried to give words of encouragement.

 

“Ellie is going to be alright Deb. Maybe when she gets back, she can spend time with the other kids here?”

 

Deb looked skeptical at first, but then sighed and nodded her head yes. 

 

“I think that might be a good idea. As long as I can be a part of what she’s doing in camp.”

 

Amy gave Deb a bright smile.

 

“I think Ellie would like that. Besides, it’ll give her a chance to get to know the other kids.”

 

Deb noticed a change in Amy’s facial expression and spoke up.

 

“Amy are you ok? You seem a little ‘off’ today.”

 

Amy playing it down shrugged her shoulders.

 

“I must be just tired. I had a late night.”

 

Deb gave her a smile but hid her inkling suspicions in the back of her mind.

 

“Ok, well tonight you try and get some sleep.”

 

Amy nodded and got up, leaving Deb on the porch to stare at the worn and weathered sonogram photograph in her hands. Rising to her feet, Deb went back inside her cabin and shut the door. Sinking down to the floor, she let her head fall into her hands and she let the sobs out. 

 

“Baby, I failed to protect you. How could I not see the man who brought you into the world as a monster?”

 

A monster? Was that what Deb was calling Doctor Ashby now? After all, she’d never suspected him of anything until lately. Deputy Sykes was holding him in town in a jail cell on suspicion of kidnapping. Sitting back against the door, Deb thought about how Amy acted a few minutes ago. Amy’s hiding something. 

To Be Continued…


End file.
